PRINCESS BASTION REPORT:
A SURVEY OF THE AREA FROM THE RIGHT REENTRANT 
ANGLE OF THE PRINCESS BASTION TO THE RIGHT REENTRANT 
ANGLE OF THE BROUILLAN BASTION, AND THE RELATION OF THIS 
AREA TO CAP NOIR

BY

MARGARET FORTIER

February, 1966

(Supervision: W. Stevenson, J. Hanna)

(Fortress of Louisbourg Report H B 3)

Presently, only some illustrations are included here.
For all of them, please consult the original report in the archives of the Fortress of Louisbourg

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SECTION

Introduction

The unusual shape of the Princess Bastion was not a source of inspiration to those who occupied the Fortress of Louisbourgt be they French or English. The general dissatisfaction with the Bastion was not lessened by the disadvantageous position in which it was found. Described by Knowles and Bastide - the English Governor and engineer respectively who were sent to Louisbourg after the first siege - as an "ill contrived Break neck place," the Princess Bastion was subjected to repeated alterations. [1]

The Princess Bastion was, indeed, in a difficult position. Like the Dauphin Bastion on the northwest side of the city, the Princess had to defend both a landward and a seaward front. Also, both Bastions were commanded by a hill which endangered not only their exteriors, but their internal security as well. The presence of the sea on one side and commanding heights on the other shaped the history of the two bastions from the time of their construction to 1760, the year in which they were demolished.

The limitations imposed by these two natural factors resulted-in the unusual form given the Princess Bastion. It would seem that from the beginning of their planning the French never considered building a full bastion on the southeast side of the city. The pre-construction plans (Figure's 1 and 2) show many very odd works where the Princess Bastion was to be, [2] but none show a "Bastion" as the word is defined; that is, "a part of the inner inclosure of a fortification, making an angle towards the field, and [consisting] of 2 faces, 2 flanks, and an opening towards the centre of the place, called the gorge. . . " [3]

This raises the question of whether the Princess may legitimately be called a "bastion". The term "demi-bastion" might be deemed more accurate. On many occasions this was the term used by the French themselves. However, this might be an oversimplification. As will be seen, the Princess Bastion, in the eyes of both French and English, did have a second face and flank. The face on the left was not straight, having been built
to cover two directions: facing south was the retired battery, while facing east were the loophole wall and the small left face. And, the small left flank was a flank in the best tradition of the word - it was the "part between the face and the curtain," and it served to cover the face of the Bastion opposite. [4] (See forward Section II, Chapter 3 , page 26 ) It is for these reasons that the term "demi-bastion has been dropped in this report, and the word "bastion" has been retained.

The remainder of Section I of this report will deal with the chronological history of the entire bastion. Not meant to convey a detailed picture, this will pinpoint the various steps in construction, the many alterations and repairs, and the rise of the Princess Bastion as an important consideration in the overall scheme of things.

Section II will cover, in detail, the history of each segment of the Bastion; a basically chronological sequence being followed within each chapter. Because it would be virtually impossible to understand the nature of the changes made without the use of visual representations, many diagrams and a few contact prints have been incorporated into the text.

The complicated series of projects put forth by Louis Franquet in 1751 will be handled in Section III. The individual parts of the Bastion will not be treated separately in this case, due to the intricate way in which they were bound up in the several projects. Here again illustrations have been provided to aid in the process of visuallizing Franquet's concepts.

Sections IV and V are rather short. They deal with the demolition of the Princess Bastion and the history of the several small parts of the Bastion which failed to find their way into the body of the report. There are relatively few references to most of the objects in the latter category, and the Section is, therefore, largely a "catch-all" for anything referred to by document or plan which has not otherwise been accounted for.

Chronology

1732

- Work on the Enceinte nearing the Princess Bastion. Foundations of part of the Princess-Queen's Curtain to be laid in 1733
- Ditch to be excavated up to -Dart which forms the cove at Cap Noir.

1733

- Ditch being excavated in front of Princess-Qaeen's Curtain.
- Foundations of masonry being laid for the Curtain.
- Curtain and part of the Princess Bastion said to be raised to 7 pieds 9 pouces. Face of Bastion raised 4 pieds 8 pouces.

1734

- Foundations being laid for "angle" of Princess Bastion.
- Right flank raised to cordon.
- Loophole wall vaulted and raised 12 pieds.
- Retired battery raised 10 pieds.
- Stockade erected from the retired battery to the sea.

1735

- Right face and loophole wall completed.
- Propose to open-embrasures in the right flank in 1737.
- Three embrasures in retired battery finished and covered with 2 pieds of sod.
- Stockade blown away in storm on October 18.
- Building of guerrite begun.
- Earth for the formation of its rampart being brought to Bastion.

1736

- Rampart from Queen's Bastion to Princess Bastion complete.
- Interior and exterior wall of parapet with the six embrasures of the right flank remain to be done.
- Dispute rages between Verrier (in favor of an eperon from the retired battery to the sea) and the Governor (in favor of a wall extending from the face of the Princess Bastion around to encompass Cap Noir and along the shore to Point Barachois).
- In 1737 work to be done on masonry of the interior and exterior of the parapets of the Bastion. The banquettes will be completed and the embrasures of the right flank will be raised in masonry. Walls of contrescarp will be established.

1737

- Ditch nearly complete.
- Six embrasures of right flank still to be finished.
- In 1738 work on foundation and elevation of contrescarp from King's Bastion to Princess to be started. Covert way and glacis will be established.
- Parapets of covert way and the glacis have been given rough shape.
- Princess Bastion shown with barbette extending half the length of the right face.

1738

- Wall of contrescarp complete; as are stairs to ditch from the covert wall.
- Covert way reveted.
- Glacis completed.
- Work being done to clear ditches of rubble.
- Batardeau of cut stone complete.
- In 1739 masonry of walls of parapets of covert way to be done.

1739

- Exposure to sea makes it necessary to revet parts of Princess Bation-in planks.

1740

- All masonry work at Princess Bastion complete.
- Crenelated Wall entirely finished. This wall has been reveted in planks, and the summit covered with shingles.
- Six canon placed to protect loophole wall and defend the Crenelated Wall in case of an enemy landing on the beach.

1741

- Plans made to form a banquette at Crenelated Wall.

1742

- Cavalier behind the left flank of the Princess Bastion raised in masonry 6 pieds. Will be finished in 1743.

1743

- DuQuesnel and Bigot concerned over presence of Cap Noir. Wish to see it topped with some kind of fortification. Engineers charged with carelessness for having neglected to include the hill in the fortifications.
- Cavalier finished.
- Experiment made on Cap Noir to determine dirt composition.

1744

- Verrier answers DuQuesnel's charges and opposes work on Cap lioir as unnecessary.
- All banquettes finished.
- Earth carried from the old cemetery to raise the rampart of the right face, and form a platform on right face of Bastion.
- Gravel piled up in front of the Crenelated Wall removed.
- Platform made on the right flank of the Princess Bastion.
- Plans formulated for heightening the Crenelated Wall.

Siege and English Occupation

1745

- English besiege Fortress.
- Low wall at southeast side of city secured by the addition of pickets.
- Range of pickets, 8 pieds high, placed within wall from the Princess Bastion to the Brouillan Bastion.
- A number of swivel guns placed on the wall next to the harbor.
- Breast work thrown up on the parapet of the wall at the southeast corner of the fortress. Three cannon placed on this work.
- English discuss the possibility of fortifying Cap Noir.
- Bastide plans to raise the face of the Bastion 3 pieds.

1746

- English rename the Princess Bastion - Princess of Orange's Bastion.
- Bastion ridiculed by English who feel that if the fortifications are rebuilt it should be enlarged to more proper dimensions.
- Declare that Cap Noir should be razed and the earth used to raise the Princess Bastion 6 feet to command the hill, or a cavalier should be placed on the right face of the Bastion,
- Work done to raise ramparts of Princess Bastion and place 7 guns there against Cap Noir.
- Guns drawn and mounted on Princess Bastion.
- Planking of Bastion's battery finished and ground being dressed.
- Plan shows barbette replaced by 2 embrasures on the right face. Casemate appears extended and terreplein adjusted accordingly.

1747

- Garbage to be dumped in pond south of Princess Bastion.
- Casemate converted into powder magazine by English.

1748

- Battery of 2 cannon erected on Cap Noir.

1748 - 1748

- It is recorded that the rampart of the Bastion was raised and broadened on its face and flank, and a strong timber platform for 10 guns-was erected on the face en Barbette.

French Reoccupation

1749

- On their return, the French report that the English established a platform the whole length of the face in place of the barbette that had been there.
- Detailed account of the materials needed for the repairs at the Princess Bastion together with the cost of each.
- Guerrite reported to have been ruined during the siege.
 

1750

- Louis Franauet sent to Louisbourg to act as Chief Engineer. He announced he would have two projects for the remaking of the fortifications.

1751

- Franquet's proposals put forth. There are several of these, but essentially they involve one of two courses of action. Either a redoubt will be built on Cap Noir, the main fortifications remaining relatively unchanged, or a demi-lune will be built before the Porte de la Reine, the fortifications will be extensively repaired and Cap Noir will be lowered. Projects shown on plans.
- Condition of works described by Franquet, and repairs and additions outlined. Figures for needed materials and their post given.

175 2

- Weaknesses of Crenelated Wall dealt with at length. It was decided that it must be raised considerably.
- Correspondence passes back and forth as Minister and Engineer debate the question of redoubts versus demi-lunes.
- King decides in favor of demi-lunes on ground that redoubt scheme was too risky and costly.

1753

- Construction of demi-lune and contregard underway. New wall facing the sea begun. Razing of Cap Noir to begin.

1754

- Demolition of Cap Noir moving swiftly. Detailed list of tools required for this operation and their cost given.
- Half the left flank of the Princess said to be ready to give way the first time a cannon is fired at or from it. Crenelations of Crenelated Wall same level as the beach below due to deposits of sand and gravel left by the sea.

1755

- Propose to cover the retired battery with an extension of the covert way which would stand 14 pieds high. Right face should be likewise extended. If it is not, a palisade should be placed between the extension of the covert way and the retired battery to aid in holding back an attack.
- Ditches of demi-lune and contregard excavated to bottom.
- The foundations of profile facing Bea laid and raised 5 pieds.
- Use of underground galleries at Princess Bastion urged by Minister.

1756

- Franquet announces that works projected in front of Porte de la Reine are advanced far enough to be able to cover the body of the place.
- Franquet agrees with Minister that the demi-lune and contregard should not be reveted in masonry as had originally been proposed.
- Foundations of casemates laid, but no further work done. Project abandoned.
- Covert way of new works between the Princess and the Queen's Bastions under way.
- Continuous work being done on the southeast side of the city. The extension of the right face and the building of the new wall facing the sea occupy much time. Detail of works in progress, those already accomplished and those yet undone is ample. Whole complexion of the Princess Bastion area changing.

1757

- Franquet and Drucour wish to suspend work on the fortifications until it is known from which side the English would attack.While waiting for this information, they will perfect the glacis and clear the rocks and earth from around the foundation of the demi-lune.
- Fascines to be used to strengthen weak works when the actual rebuilding cannot be done.
- English very worried about reports of a battery situated on Cap Noir.
- Three posterns opened in the new wall facing the sea.
- One caponneir built at each end of the crenelated curtain; one on either side of the demi-lune; and one to the left of the covert way.

1758

- May to July Louisbourg besieged by the Fnglish. Capitulation of the Fortress on July 26.
- Little or no damage done to Princess Bastion during siege. The closest reported hit was at the right reentrant place of arms of the demi-lune. Speculation as to the possible use of the Bastion in the event of a last stand suggests it was in relatively good condition and well protected. Reports given following siege indicate that the Bastion's faults were those never repaired, not the result of siege damage.
- Battery erected in front of Cap Noir in July helped to keep the hill from being taken by the English.
- Hospital placed on the partially razed Cap Noir.
- Troops from Saint John's quartered on Cap Noir.

1760

- Demolition of the fortifications begun in June and the first charges set in Princess Bastion in September.

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